Crash takes 2 lives

Husband and wife were in separate cars

Emergency personnel work to free the driver of a pickup involved. The wreck resulted in the death of the drivers of both vehicles.

Special to Times Record News

Department of Public Safety trooper Jymie Ha consults with a member of the Chillicothe Fire Department about a double fatality.

Special to Times Record News

A husband and wife were killed in a head on crash Wednesday in an incident where each was the driver of one of the vehicles. It happened about 10 a.m. on County Road 87 near the small community of Odell in northern Wilbarger County. Department of Public Safety Trooper Jymie Ha identified the dead as 31-year-old Nicolas Cruz and 26-year-old Kristina Munoz.

Cruz was the driver of a 1990 Mazda headed south on the county road and Munoz was the driver of a 1999 Saturn headed north when the two vehicles collided.

The wreck occurred near the Marhard Pullet Farm where the couple were employed. The site is about 3.5 miles west of the Odell Community and about 18 miles northwest of Vernon.

Emergency crews used special equipment to extricate the victims from the wreckage. Both Cruz and Munoz were pronounced dead at the scene by Wilbarger County Justice of the Peace Gene Morton. They were both alone in their vehicles.

Trooper Ha said he didn't believe either was wearing a seat belt when the crash occurred. He said the cause is still under investigation. He said speed may have been a factor and witnesses reported seeing no skid marks on the pavement.